HP iPAQ 211 Enterprise Handheld (210 Series) Reviews

• A few shortcomings, but they are major.

  
  By A680RUE1FDO8B on 2008-03-13
  The HP210 / 211 / 212 / 214 could have been a truly great product. (They're all the same product: the different numbers indicate the channel and country; i.e., 210 US - Consumer, 214 - Asia, etc.) But it has a few shortcomings that, in my opinion, reduce it to an average product that should be considered carefully.
  
  First, I am a big fan of PDAs and so-called smartphones and have been using them for years. None of them are perfect. In fact, most of them are far from perfect. In recent years the smartphone category, combining the cellular phone, the PDA and a camera, has really taken off. The standalone PDA is probably an endangered species and the HP211 could be the last of its kind. The emergence of the mini-laptop like the Asus Eee and Fujitsu U810 may, in fact, be the final nails in the coffin of the standalone PDA which I think would be a pity.
  
  HP did a lot of things right with the HP211.
  
  The screen is absolutely gorgeous. Photos and videos shine forth in all their glory. Glare from the screen surface has not been a problem. I have not tested it in direct sunlight, but it holds up well in bright daylight. The screen does require a fairly strong touch, but it is something you become accustomed to fairly quickly. Scrolling, however, in Internet Explorer seems to somewhat difficult. You have to apply firm pressure which the device may be interpreting as repeated taps. Something makes navigation in IE more difficult than it has to be.
  
  For those who use the inking capability, once you get the touch done, it is a great experience. The Marvell processor is fast enough to make inking a delight. If you use an onscreen keyboard like TenGo, you'll be well impressed with how responsive the screen is and how fast your input can be.
  
  Overall, the CPU powers the device with lots of horses to spare. And it is wonderful to have all that memory available, knowing as well that you can add humongous SDHC and CF cards as well. The idea that you can add 32GB of memory with 16GB card in each slot is mindblowing.
  
  WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities are excellent.
  
  The four function buttons are well placed and can be reprogrammed to meet your needs. On left side is another button that starts the recording function. The on/off switch is mounted on the front near the top right corner. While it hasn't happened to me, I am afraid it can be depressed accidentally, but the auto shutdown should render that moot even if it happens.
  
  The D-pad is a major drawback and could be a dealbreaker for a lot of people. The designers lopped off the top of the D-pad. It is smaller than the right/left and down pads and, mounted just below the screen bezel, feels funny. It is also difficult to toggle precisely which is frustrating. As I use it more, it seems to be becoming more natural, but I consider it a dumb design move. I would strongly suggest that prospective owners either try it in a store or buy from a vendor with an excellent return policy.
  
  The other major flaw - and this could be a deal-killer for a lot of people is the speaker arrangement. There are two speakers, but they do not work together at the same time. The front one is used only, as far as I know, with Skype. It has just barely adequate volume in a quiet room. If there's any kind of noise, forget it. By the way, the HP211 works very well with Skype.
  
  The rear speaker is just plain horrible. It is inaudible even in a quiet room. It is unusable for playing back voice recordings and trying to use it for music or audio tracks on movies is unthinkable. You can also whistle goodbye to using it for voice prompts for GPS. In a unit this expensive, this design flaw is inexcusable. Making matters worse is that the headphone jack - which is, thankfully, a standard 3.5mm - is located on the bottom of the unit. I haven't tried it with Bluetooth headphones. one of the big pluses of a standalone PDA like this to me is the recording capability for quick notes. But if I can't hear them playing back without headphones, what good is it? Another reason for a standalone with Bluetooth is GPS. Obviously, you want GPS with voice prompts. But if you can't hear the voice prompts, what good is it?
  
  Considering HP's legendary engineering, I am surprised these flaws made it into the final product, but they did and I think they greatly reduce the appeal of the product.
  
  The unit is pretty big, which I appreciate because I want an ample writing surface and I have big hands. That's the good news. The bad news is that the surfaces are all slippery plastic. If you intend to use this unit without a case, I suspect it will become a casualty within a matter of days. Overall, the construction feels a little on the cheap side. Not awful, but it doesn't feel very robust either.
  
  My primary reason for wanting a standalone PDA is to have a way (other than pen and paper) to take notes throughout the day. The HP211 fills this role well. I primarily use PhatNotes and TenGo. The HP211 screen provides an excellent inking experience with no vectoring problems. The stock Windows Mobile Notes and other applications and the letter recognizer also work well. It's a joy to have a ton of memory with the ability to expand to previously unheard of dimensions. The screen is a marvelous platform for viewing photos or videos. (The CPU, by the way, doesn't have quite enough ooomph to play video back smoothly. Using TCMP, I had lots of dropped frames.)
  
  If I were ranking the device very narrowly, I would give it 5 stars without hesitation and then take 1 star away for the price, which I think is too high. Thus a net 4 stars. Because of the D-pad design and, in particular, the utterly useless audio, I can give it only 3 stars. Considering the high price in conjunction with these defects and I have to strongly urge that anyone considering this device consider it very, very carefully. One of the reasons I prefer Windows Mobile devices is the wide array of software available for them. The main reason for buying the HP211, on my part, was the large screen, which is admittedly much easier to work with than the one on my smartphone.
  
  But at $400+ for the HP, there are alternatives and I suggest that they be considered. The Nokia N800 is less than half the price and provides WiFi, web browsing and email. The screen is great, though converting video for the N8*0 is dicey. The N800 offers SDHC expansion capability. The N810 adds a sliding keyboard. And both have a rudimentary camera which the HP211 should have, but doesn't. The big drawback to the N8*0 devices? They're Linux and apps are still relatively scarce.
  
  On the whole, I think the HP211 is well suited for a notetaking function and moderately well suited for web browsing when Opera is installed. It is an adequate video platform. But the built-in speakers simply stink. The headphone jack is inconveniently placed and the D-pad is something of a design disaster.
  
  The big problem is that there just aren't that many standalone PDAs out there running Windows Mobile 6 with a ton of memory and a great 4" screen. At half the price, I'd live with the problems. At $400+, though, I'm still wondering about it. My smartphone does everything the HP211 does: it's just smaller and more difficult to work on. Is the convenience worth $400+? I'm not sure yet, but am tilting toward saying "no".
  
  Jerry
  
  
  
  
  
  

• My $0.02 Worth

  
  By A140V3R5PP1LDY on 2008-03-08
  I've been using Windows Mobile and Windows CE products for almost 10 years. I've owned the 4700, 2595 and now the 211. My wife has the 110. I use these devices extensively and have an entire workflow planned around it. It goes everywhere with me. My requirements are such that a converged device doesn't provide much use to me: processor usually too weak, memory too little, and definitely the screen too small.
  
  I bought the 211 about a month ago. Here are my impressions:
  
  - My first reaction was "BIG!". It is bigger than all my other devices. It's thick, more so than the 4700. The weight is ok, though. I don't think about the size any more. I've gotten used to it.
  - The screen does require more pressure to operate, but again, I'm used to it now and it's forgotten. I haven't noticed different pressure reactions on different screen locations.
  - The screen is perfect. To address previous comments about being able to see more stuff: I scan all my documents and commit to PDF. Everything. Then I sync to the 211's SD card. I have a lightweight PDF reader, and I can read PDFs easily without scrolling horizontally. I can't come close to doing that with my wife's 110, or my 2495. Yes, you can fit much more on the screen, and it's much much sharper than any other device. Yes, the unit takes advantage of the higher resolution: it's not just bigger pictures on a bigger screen, honestly. Having said that, it's up to the application to do that. Most do.
  - I have *not* noticed any negative performance difference between this and my previous devices. It's as fast as my 2495 and my wife's 110.
  - I have approximately 30 applications(!) on it. None have had compatibility issues. And because of the impressive amount of memory, I still have approxiamtely 55% of storage memory left.
  - Yes, there's a proprietary cable for sync and power. However, there's also a mini-USB port, so the proprietary cables aren't necessary at all. I don't travel with them. I only use a retractable mini-USB for charging and synchronization. It's really not an issue.
  - Battery life is better than the 4700 and the 2495.
  - I love the buttons. I honestly don't understand the criticisms I have read about them. I'm happy.
  - Bluetooth and WiFi have worked without any issues. My only complaint here is for WM6: it can't connect to my work WiFi network because WM6 doesn't support WPA enterprise.
  
  Sorry for the rambling review. Just wanted to give my opinion on issues raised here. It's the perfect device for my requirements: no converged phone/PDA, and I don't need a camera. BTW, my employer gave me a 8525. I don't use it at all. It simply can't do what the 211 does.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• HUGE leap from HX2495 and Dell X51v

  
  By A149RNR5RH19YY on 2008-02-17
  got this "monster" this week
  the first feeling is "HUGE", my hand can hold it because I have big palm
  the screen is eye candy, 4" VGA can make a quite difference, the color is very good, not "yellowish" like other HP products, the screen looks dark when the backlight is off, however, it's pretty viewable under sunlight
  the buttons and d-pad are pretty comfortable to press, but up direction of d-pad is a little bit difficult to press because the bottom of screen frame, the arragement is
  calendar/contacts (I changed to IE/File Explorer)
  Start button (cannot to be changed)
  OK and minimize/? (I changed ? to Bluetooth Manager
  messaging (not changed)
  the application is typical WM, but HP signature application "iTask" is no longer exist, which I can shut down an application with ease, it doesn't have ipaq backup
  Monster Chinese users must read, you must use version 5.3, ver 6.0 will mess up the machine, cause it unable to boot, requires factory reset
  all jacks are located on the bottom, even headphones jack, that you may want to use wireless headphones instead, luckily, the updated bt is alot more stable, almost no skip/interruption on a2dp; you can almost forget the new data port, the miniUSB can do both async and charging (1A or higher USB charger is highly recommended, the included AC adaptor has supplied charging adaptor to the data port)
  the unit speed is OK, slow down a bit when a2dp is active, video is decent, with TCPMP, no slowdown on mpeg (ripped directly from VCD), Divx is fine (VGA @30fps), wmv has some hiccup
  the battery is OK, VGA can use good amount of power, it is recommended to setup screeen auto-off to save power, I tested with Pocket Player, play 160-192kbps ogg vorbis, got around 7 hours when bt a2dp is active
  this unit has 2 memory card slots, I put 16GB CF (A-Data) and 16GB SD-HC (A-Data), both work 100%
  RF on wifi and bt is pretty impressive, can get signal easily, and give wireless headphones more range (though it's not good as class 1 bt)
  this unit is a big leap from HX2495 and X51v, HX4705 users will find similar pleasure with this unit
  I give 95%
  pro:
  HUGE VGA screen, buttons are comfortable to press, 2200mA/h battery (you can use HX4705 battery), miniUSB port, stable bt, good RF
  con:
  weak speaker, headphones jack is located on the bottom, no cradle included, kinda bulky
  
  

• Takes some getting used to

  
  By A1H4NSEAEFFB8U on 2008-02-06
  I must be one of the first to own a iPAQ 211, which I purchased directly from HP Shopping. I plan to write a more extensive review but for now I think the most important thing is that you understand what the new high resolution 480 x 640 screen is like. The 211 is BIG. Taller, wider and thicker than an iPhone. Heavy. Roughy 33% larger than a iPAQ Classic 100.
  
  Understand as I am writing this that the word I hear on the street is the days of the stand alone PDA are numbered (the 200 seriers are stand alone devices). The only kind of PDA that can be a success in the market is one that has a phone built in, or looking at it another way, celluar manufacturers are choosing to use the Mobile 6 OS to give users a very rich platform.
  
  Most importantly you need to understand this. Yes there are 4X more pixels on this screen than on the 240 x 320 standard screen BUT Microsoft has not taken advantage of this higher resolution. What they have done is basically expand the size of interface to fit the screen. So icons are bigger, text is larger, everything is much easier to read for old and tired eyes. But it is not what I expected.
  
  What they could have done is keep the fonts and icons the same size as the 240 x 320 screen and then distribute more of them in the screen area. that way there could be way more information packed on the screen than the smaller handhelds.
  
  In other words imagine you bought a new video board that had double the resoution of your old one. But when you played DOOM on things just got bigger, you saw no new detail.
  
  Anyway that is my PITA at this point. I hope to have more to say in a few days.
  
  So the feeling I get is that the interface is big and lumbering, not refined and tastful as the resolution would allow.
  
  This may not prove to be of major importanct to people, but this is my personal take and parly gripe on the iPAQ 211.
  
  
  
  

• A big disapointment

  
  By A354OC45XV26QP on 2008-02-15
  I have always owned Pocket PCs made by HP, and their quality hands down has always been superior for me. These include the 3800, 5555, 4155 and 2755. When the Ipaq 211 came out, I bought it because it was the first PPC to include 128MB of Ram, 256MB of ROM **AND** have a VGA screen. It's something I wanted for years and have always criticized companies like Dell for always sacrificing one strength for another when releasing a new design...such as creating PPCs with more storage and a VGA screen, but intentionally limiting the ram to 64MB so running multiple robust applications became next to impossible.
  
  The Good: Beautiful design, terrific screen size and color...and superior wireless connectivity. Loaded with a good complement of software, and includes both compact flash and secure digital slots. It also has a decent battery life, even when running Bluetooth or Wireless (I used it for almost 5 hours straight.) Windows Mobile 6 is feature rich and is ready for business right out of the box. On the outside, it appears to have it all.
  
  The Bad: HP changed their universal 22pin serial cable connection to a larger 24pin version for no reason, so none of the external docking peripherals, cables or anything that previously interfaced directly with the HP series will work. The new interface offers no new benefit and renders your PPC incompatible with a lot of hardware. If you own a GPS with a serial connection, get ready to buy another one with a wireless Bluetooth interface or pray that your GPS company decides to offer a converter cable. Unlike every other PPC I have ever bought, there is no docking cradle included, and instead of giving you a USB serial cable that syncs and charges through the USB port, the cable given also requires a separate power connection, making carrying the included power supply more of an unnecessary burden. In addition, the amount of force necessary for the stylus to interact with the screen is greater than what I was ever used to, and different parts of the screen were more sensitive than others.
  
  The Ugly: Despite the 624Mhz processor, this PPC is SLOWER and demonstrates more inconsistent and laggy performance than any other PPC I have ever owned, period. The Marvell PXA310 processor...being a member of the XScale family, has broken compatibility enough so that even applications like Pocket Hack Master, which ran on every other Pocket PC I ever owned, cannot recognize or make full use of it. TCPMP, probably the most efficient video player in the PPC world, would crash after attempting to end the playing of video. No other PPC ever had that issue. Every application I installed exhibited enough of a delay to the point where I was certain that the machine was clocked to run at on 1/4th the speed it was advertised to do. The difference was so obvious that I even installed the same applications an another friend's Ipaq just to do a side by side comparison. Both hard and soft resets yielded no benefit, and since I bought this direct from HP, it already had the latest drivers and firmware.
  
  The performance and compatibility issues...both on the software and hardware side...make upgrading to this unit a very risky proposition for people who have come to expect more from their PPCs. I was so profoundly disappointed that I promptly returned it to HP for a full refund. Aside from the drawback of only having a 320x240 screen, my hx2755 outperforms this unit in every measurable way. As such, I have come to the conclusion that no PPC manufacturer has any intention of actually giving people what they want without *intentionally* introducing drawbacks or flaws into the design or functionality. HP has no valid excuse whatsoever for releasing what I have no choice but to deem a sub-standard product that is easily outmatched by units that have been discontinued for years. If you are someone that expects more for your hard-earned money, this is not the unit to get.
  
  
• Great PDA!
  By AIL7BZH4932PN on 2008-02-22
  My Dell Axim X50v died unexpectedly and I had to get another PDA. After using a VGA screen I could not go back to QVGA. Since there aren't too many units to select from I decided on the IPAQ 211.
  Already there are some good reviews out there so just a couple of comments based on what's already been said.
  1. It is big, but then the screen is incredible.
  2. I didn't have any devices that already used the connector so the new configuration was no big deal. The large connector accommodates sync and charging and the mini USB does both as well.
  3. As for screen tapping it is a bit stiffer than the Dell, but I've already adjusted.
  4. Connecting via WiFi is a breeze compared to the Dell. It just connects quickly without a big hassle.
  5. It may be a touch slower, but I'm assuming that's a result of the persistent memory.
  6. I have quite a wide variety of software that I've installed with no problems whatsoever.
  Overall, I'm very pleased with this unit.
  
  
• iPaq 211 vs iPaq 2755
  By A1Y85GQ09Y95JL on 2008-07-20
  I have been using the iPaq 211 now for a couple of weeks after upgrading from the iPaq 2755 that I purchased when it first hit the American market - 3+ years ago. I haven't had a chance to really test the multimedia capability but am willing to bet the 211 will be better for MP3 and movies. Overall, it is a good devise, but not as much of an improvement over the 2755 as I was hoping for. Below is a comparison between the two devises.
  
  Screen
  2755 - Bright and easy to read but type gets more difficult as it gets smaller. Web pages are really difficult to view making Internet Explorer nearly pointless.
  211- Even brighter in comparison to the 2755. It also has automatic brightness adjustment that actually works well. But the biggest difference is the VGA resolution on a comparatively BIG screen. Web pages, books and everything is much easier to read on this devise. I have been using my iPaqs for reading books for several years and this devise is really a pleasure for that! The on screen keyboard is also a lot easier to use, almost good enough to use with just a finger.
  
  Processing power
  2755 - HP's second unit with the 624 MHz processor blew away the previous units for speed of applications and handwriting recognition. It made the unit much more useful that previous with slower processors.
  211- It has the same processor which is a mixed blessing. Since the 211 lacks a high powered graphics processor, it is actually slower on some tasks than the 2755 due to having a screen with 4 times the resolution. That said, it is only a little slower and only in certain aspects like initially opening a document. Handwriting recognition is actually slightly better for some reason; possibly the increased memory.
  
  Internal Memory
  2755 - More than adequate for several documents and programs to be stored. Bogged down or crashed if several apps were loaded at the same time, but that was easily solved by the task manager that allowed you to close individual apps or all of them at the same time.
  211 - Even more memory, making easy to store loads of applications and files without issue. It does still slow down if you keep the Internet Explorer, Word and other large apps running. I couldn't find a task manager that worked like the 2755's included so installed a freeware program TMAN that works even better.
  
  Touch screen
  2755 - Good but sometimes difficult near the edges of the screen. It was often hard to hand write anything due to the size of the screen and my writing style (or lack there of.) Taps and gestures were very responsive, but it was nearly impossible to use a bare finder or even a man's fingernail.
  211 - The screen is only about 95% as responsive in comparison which isn't that bad though occasionally annoying. But due to the screen size you can actually use your finger tip for many applications including the contact list making the 211 slightly better than the 2755 overall.
  
  Included programs
  2755- HP included the standard office mobile, image viewers, media players and a backup program. You also got Outlook on the disk for your desktop computer just in case you didn't have Office.
  211- Actually has less than the 2755, no Outlook and no backup software. As it comes with Windows Mobile 6, the Office apps are better than the 2755. Still, plan on purchasing Sprite Backup and Outlook if you don't already have it.
  
  Accessories
  2755 - sync cable, power cable and cradle. Options include SD and CF card slots for LOTS of storage space. I have an extra battery and charger that makes it even more flexible.
  211 - No cradle included. Same optional card slots except that the SD can reads SDHC cards which are a lot more versatile. There is also an optional host cable that allows you to use USB mice, keyboards and external hard drives. There is also an extended battery available that can double the amount of time before charging or exchanging batteries.
  
  Looks and build quality
  2755 - Looks are OK, though I never really liked the color tan/gray. Great build considering that I have been using it daily for more 3 years without any issue. Buttons are easy to use and can be programmed. NOTE; the first thing I do when I get a new electronic devise is put a screen saver on it.
  211- It looks great in black! Same or better build quality than the 2755. Despite being lager, it is still very easy to hold and use.
  
  Connectivity
  2755 - Uses Activesync 4.5 in XP which is still my operating system of choice; sorry Microsoft but Vista totally sucks! Slow and buggy, but can be used with the included Bluetooth as well as cable.
  211 - Exactly the same accept that does include a standard USB mini port for sync and charging. Charging on the USB is slower but is a welcome addition.
  
  Security
  2755 - Comes standard with password security and a biometric finger print reader that really works!
  211 - No finger print reader which is a real disappointment, but does still have the password security.
  
  Portability factor
  2755 - Easily fits in a pocket and there lots of great cases available.
  211 - Slightly bigger to allow the great new screen, but still pretty easy to pocket. The included case is OK, but I will be looking for a nice leather one instead.
  
  --Summery of the 211--
  
  Pros
  Very readable screen, probably the current leader for any Windows Mobile devise that can still fit in a pocket.
  Very powerful with more storage options that most people will know what to do with.
  Mobile Office apps are way better under Mobile 6 and very usable. I can really create a full Word document on the devise without too much effort
  Battery is sufficient for the devise, allowing several hours of use before charging is necessary.
  Quite stable, very few resets and nearly all the programs that I wanted to use work great including a couple designed for WinCE 3.0.
  Optional USB host adapter.
  SDHC comparable.
  Finger touch usable in some applications.
  Opera Mobile web browser 9.5 works like a charm!
  Plenty of internal memory.
  Easy to carry and use.
  
  Cons
  A little slower than I would have expected.
  No cradle.
  No Outlook or backup software.
  No biometric fingerprint reader.
  No independent graphic processor for the VGA screen slows it down at times.
  The speaker is a little weak.
  Touch screen takes a little more pressure.
  
  
  
• Best PDA ever
  By AIVII9KR6WLET on 2008-02-09
  I really like this iPaq 211. My old 1945 died unexpectedly so I went in search of a replacement and selected the 211.
  
  The screen is very large, and extremely clear. The 640 x 480 can be used in landscape or portait mode, and high or low resolution can be selected. It's amazing how much you can get on the screen. I've used it for several hours of browsing the internet, and it's very easy to use most sites. My old iPaq's screen was just too small to be usefull for any serious writing, but this thing is so easy to see.
  
  The processors speed is very good. A fast processor and lots of memory means that it doesn't bog down when I've got lots of apps in memory. Also the battery life very good, I've surfed the web on WIFI for several hours, and had plenty of juice to spare. MS Mobile office has some nice improvements,too. I really like the way that it handles multiple mail servers - it keeps the email boxes separate, and allows you to specify which one you want to work with. I have my google, msn live, comcast, and corporate mailboxes available.
  
  Before you put an ounce of faith in any less than favorable reviews, go see what Mobile Tech said about this beauty:
  
  [...]
  The only negative is the Activesync program that is used to synchronize the iPaq with my PC. It can be very slow at times.
  
  
  
  
• Good value for a high end pda
  By A2OT1V7R1DXQOA on 2008-02-09
  This device is the much anticipated replacement for the hx4700 series.
  It is almost the same device, with changes in the processor and memory as well as a return to the dpad navigation button rather than the touch pad.
  
  It sells for $200.00 less than the hx4700 and only 2 years later.
  
  The big screen is a treat for tired eyes and fat fingers as Mitch pointed out above.
  
  However, as he notes, Windows never did make good use of the VGA size and "pixel doubles" most software.
  
  Keep and eye open for the likely workarounds such as SEVGA, RealVGA and OzVGA created for the earlier VGA models such as the Toshiba e850, Axim VGA pda's and the hx470x series. Unfortunately, all software plays nicely with the WM6 solution but not the "real VGA" solutions, relying on the pixel doubling rather than providing layouts and icons for the larger potential resolution.
  
  I do miss the tough and light magnesium case found on the hx4700, and the case designers really missed the ball by not including buttons for the two softkeys for the WM6 OS on this release (there are 4 progammable standard pocket pc buttons, plus a recording button).
  
  They did move the power button to the front, which makes easy access through Otter Boxes or waterproof cases.
  
  Luckily they put a much larger base memory on this model, hurray! It makes a big difference.
  
  Memory expansion is great. With 32GB compact flash out now (64gb this spring) and SDHC card support, you should buy as big an sdhc card as you can and install many of your programs to it to save main memory space while leaving the compact flash for your maps and music and get bluetooth peripherals (GPS, laser rangefinder, barcode reader, Stereo Headphones) etcetera.
  
  My let down was that they made the microphone monaural again.
  What does it take to get these guys to make a stereo mic input????
  It would make a fantastic little CF recording machine for professional quality reporting.
  
  Currently you will have to be satisfied that it does record in stereo, but only has one mic--so recording birds, interviews, detailed med school lectures, that next pop/rap song sketch or mumblings of genius can continue in one channel.
  
  On the plus side, with some share ware, the iPaq 210 makes a sweet little guitar/uke/banjo tuner.
  
  It does have much better speakers, which is fantastic for listening or playing bird calls while looking through your electronic bird field guides.
  
  If you are scared by the price, consider buying a used hx4700 or if you have cash to burn, look into the HTC Advantage X7501 with a 5" screen and all the features this PDA does not (including a phone, a 3 megapixel camera, and keyboard).
  
  I like my IR port on the hx4700 so much (missing on the 211)that I will be ditching the 211 and returning to my older model.
  
  That's my 2 cents.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Best PDA yet
  By A1719J4NXIGF6Y on 2008-02-18
  I've owned HP pocket pc's since they first came out and have owned 5 different models, each better than the one before, and the 211 is no exception. Maybe some want their phone and pocket pc melded into one, but not me. I've checked out the teensy weensy screens on the PDA/cell phones, slow processors and limited memory, and that doesn't work for me. Yes, the new 211 pocket pc is bigger than previous models, but the screen is bigger with incredible resolution. And no, I don't want to use my PDA as a phone, either. I pretty much forget about my cell phone in my pocket, and I depend on my PDA dozens of times a day as a fully functional computer. Whenever I need to do something on my computer, I pop this on and in a few seconds I'm on. I wouldn't pay attention to the reviewer who said the screen is bigger, but so is everything else. This isn't true. Also, all of the Office Mobile applications have a "Zoom" feature that lets you scale the text down if you want, giving you more useful real estate. Combined with the fact that the resolution itself is higher, this screen is spectacular. Connectivity via WiFi is faster as well. And I don't know what the reviewer meant when he said the applications are slower. Mine certainly aren't, and again, I use mine every single day, many times a day. For the first time, internet browsing is pretty amazing with the fine detail and larger screen. It's hard to imagine a better pocket pc at any price. This is an extremely good balance of form and function.
  
  
• Great performance and great looking!
  By A11MM2ULF7WBQU on 2008-03-08
  I have to admitt that this is my first PDA but I think I have enough computer technology experience to judge this as a wonderful product.
  It's performance is outstanding. I have not only used all the applications that came with the PDA but two others that I find really interesting.
  One is adding a Compact Flash GPS and using GPS Tuner software and what a great combination of hardware and software to have a superb GPS utility.
  The other is using Remote Desktop to have remote access of the server I daily work with and it's just unbelievable how great it performs with this application.
  Battery life is very good. Usually more than 7 hours without needing to recharge.
  The screen and touch interface works perfect and the visibility is great for a 4 inch screen.
  The only thing that I wished this PDA to have is an infrared port so I could use it as a remote control for my TV and other appliances but I still think this product well deserves a 5 star rating.
  
  
• Stunning, but not flawless
  By A986TRJWOCBQN on 2008-05-18
  PROS: Overall, this product is an excellent tool for organizing both personal and business communications (i.e., E-mail, Internet, and creating office documents). Windows Mobile 6 is well equipped for easy navigation, wireless LAN connection(among other connection types), and some multi-tasking. Wireless LAN works well within the home or office environment without any problems so far. After owning this product for a month and getting the opportunity to try it out, I haven't found a single hardware problem with this device. Excellent design!
  
  CONS: The biggest issue I have found with the device is Internet Explorer (which comes with Windows Mobile 6). Internet Explorer tends to crash a lot, and then generate a meaningless hexadecimal error code. A simple fix for this is to install Minimo (a Firefox product for mobile devices). Minimo offers tabbed browsing (which Internet Explorer for mobile hasn't done yet) without the habitual application crashes. Otherwise, all the other software works great. Overall great product!
  
  
• USB Host - lose the laptop!
  By AK6V7TBN39SB2 on 2008-09-03
  The iPaq 211 is quite a bit bigger than than the 2200 that I have had for 3 or 4 years now and does seem a bit clumsier to hold. BUT it has a larger screen with twice the resolution so that it is a joy to look at and it does seem a bit more responsive. I bought mine refurbished and it's perfect. It did have a few spots of something sticky on it but they were easily cleaned off and there are now no signs that it was anything other than brand new.
  
  The good:
  It has USB host capabilities so I can transfer photos directly from SD or CF cards to a powered hard drive without a PC or Laptop. You need a special cable which costs another $50 but it is well worth it for me. The hard drive must have a separate power supply, as all 3.5" ones do. The smaller 2.5" drives are usually powered from the USB port and the iPaq has not got enough power for that. However, my Buffalo 320GB ministation is capable of being powered from the mains (my TomTom mains charger fits and supplies the 5v with the correct polarity). File transfer is SLOW (about an hour for 1GB) but that is no problem if you can get through the day and download while you have dinner or something. The reason I value this capability so highly is the ever increasing restrictions on baggage that the airlines are imposing. Hand baggage allowances within Europe are so measly now that a DSLR camera with 2 lenses, a hard drive, a PDA and a silver flute + piccolo is as much as I am allowed leaving no room for a laptop as well. And no, I would not want to pack any of that into the checked luggage.
  
  It has both SD and CF card slots so you can have your cake and eat it. That covers both my point-and-shoot and my DSLR camera so I am very happy. It also means that you can get 64 GB of storage if you invest in 32GB cards in both slots. Yes, it does support SDHC.
  
  It has full VGA resolution so that your photos actually look good. And you can rotate the screen with a long press of a button.
  
  It can run movies (with added software) without significant glitches and the screen does a good job.
  
  The wireless just works. It picks up a new connection without fuss and there is an icon to disable it (to save power) right on the Today screen.
  
  I haven't tried the Bluetooth yet but I see no reason to suppose it works any less well than the 2200 which was fine. Apparently it does support the protocol that allows for stereo bluetooth headphones.
  
  And Skype (free download) works almost as well as on my laptop (without the webcam of course). There is a tiny speaker on the front and a microphone to bottom left so that when you hold the iPaq up to your left ear it works just like a large cellphone.
  
  Some people seem to hate the fact that the headphone jack is at the bottom instead of the top. However, I love that. It means that all the cables come from the same edge. It also means that you can put it in your pocket top down so you can easily reach the control dial and the headphone wire comes straight out from the exposed edge.
  
  The not so good:
  It takes a second or two to turn on when you press the button. The 2200 turned on almost instantly. Not a deal breaker but disconcerting. Also, the buttons for contacts and calendar do not turn the unit on as they did on 2200. It has to be on already for the buttons to launch the programs.
  
  I read all the reviews of the weakness of the main speaker (at the rear) and decided that for me this wasn't so important. They are right, the speakers are very very quiet. But you can hear it very well if you hold the unit up to your ear and a pair of headphones solves the problem completely. Now I need to invest in a stereo bluetooth pair!
  
  Also you do need to press a bit harder on the screen than on the 2200 but you get used to that very quickly. I found the bare screen rather sticky so that my letters had breaks in them and were therefore mis-recognised. (This could have been because I was afraid of scratching the screen before the screen protector arrived.) Anyway, I forked out for the official HP screen protectors (you get 3 and they last for ages) and after that, writing on the screen was a joy. If choosing off-brand protectors go for the crystal-clear ones rather than the glare-reducing. I think that will get you the smoothest writing experience.
  
  HP has not provided the backup software that saved my bacon a couple of times on the 2200. I believe there are free downloads and I will have to get one (you never know when you'll forget about it long enough for it to run down completely). However, I have now learned to install all new software to a card or to the iPaq store rather than to the default location so that at least I won't lose the programs if the power goes.
  
  Talking of which, the unit does seem to need charging at least every other day. I believe that while in use, the power lasts longer than the 2200, but when in standby, the 2200 would go for the best part of a week without significant discharge. The 211, however, seems to lose 10% of its power just overnight even with bluetooth and wireless turned off. I haven't been able to find out why this is. Some say that it is better if you stop all running programs (and maybe pop the CF card out) and so I have found, but it still isn't as carefree as the 2200 was.
  
  All in all, this is a pretty good PDA and the only one on the market running Windows Mobile that has USB Host capabilities, dual card slots and a big VGA screen. I don't need a keyboard so I am not prepared to pay almost twice as much for a umPC. In spite of its drawbacks, I love the 211 and really enjoy using it.
  
  
• HP iPAQ 211
  By A1J3C9D6EVSPBL on 2008-03-02
  Great product if your looking for a top of the line PDA. Great screen resolution, large spreadsheets are readable. Very usable for web browseing. Expensive, but worth it.
  
  
• large but insensitive screen; battery life issues
  By A1CK30D5FEDX8B on 2008-06-28
  I owned previously a Dell Axim 50 (produced in 2005). The ipaq 211 has larger and better screen. However, it is quite insensitive and annoying, it takes time to get used to it. It does not feel significantly faster. The worst part was that the battery was being drained overnight. Online customer service was useless. I installed the updates from hp site with no benefit. I searched the net and I found the solution of the problem which was to disable the automatic sync feature. It worked:
  
  1. Launch ActiveSync from the Programs folder (on the Pocket PC).
  2. Tap "Menu" and then tap "Add Server Source"
  3. Type in a fake server address, such as 1.1.1.1. Tap Next.
  4. Put anything in "User name:", "Password", and "Domain" and tap Next.
  5. Tap Finish.
  6. Tap "Menu" and then tap "Schedule..."
  7. Select "Manually" for "Peak times:" and for "Off-peak times:"
  8. Tap "OK"
  9. Tap "Menu", then tap "Options"
  10. Select the fake "Exchange Server" you created and tap "Delete".
  11. Tap "Yes" when the message box appears. Tap Ok and exit from program.
  12. Do a software reset.
  
  I do not recommend this device.
  
  
• This is my first PDA, maybe I'm just expecting too much.
  By A19JIXMQHRIBBR on 2008-08-24
  The product itself is not too bad. It has a solid feel to it. Programs open quickly and respond well. As soon as you turn it on its ready to go, there is no bootup time. Has a great picture but lousy sound. I ended up buying a Bluetooth headset so I can hear it. I also strongly recommend buying screen protectors because you'll be poking and stroking pretty hard with the diddle stick until the touch screen breaks in after a couple weeks of use.
  
  The software and firmware is what's bad about it. Every time you put it on or off the charger, connect or disconnect anything, it automatically turns itself on. There is no setting to defeat this. The mobile office software and clear view PDF don't have full screen mode, so a third of the screen is taken up by the window frames. Bring up the input window and now you only have one third of the screen left see what you're working on.
  
  Bottom line, it's a great tool for doing simple tasks. It won't replace a laptop when traveling. If you're waiting for the mini PCs to become practical, this is a great pacifier.
  
  
  
  
• It broke after 10 days and HP would not fix it
  By A2GCLU93YGS5HY on 2008-09-05
  My ipaq 214 broke after 10 days of use, and HP refuses to fix it even though it is obviously well within the warrantee period. They plan to charge me half the price of the new item. The 24-pin connector was always stiff (unlike the nice cradle that came with my 4700) and became more and more difficult to connect during a trip I took to Iraq. On the 10th day it stopped working altogether, having mashed the teeth on the motherboard. I was only using this to charge the unit. HP simply does not stand by their products.
  
  
• HP 211 IPAQ
  By A1LSDR1E57ERP5 on 2008-07-26
  This is my 4th IPAQ. The last one was an HP2400 (I think). The HP 211 is a real joy to use compared to my last one. The screen is really excellent - very easy on the eyes and a little larger which I like and 640 x 480 resolution.
  
  Cons - This IPAQ has a small delay when you press the ON button. Not a big deal but sometimes I think I didn't turn it on - so I turn it OFF by mistake! The touch screen takes a slightly harder touch to work correctly. I am getting used to it and this is not a big deal. The screen seems to be very scratch resistant. Wireless and bluetooth function very reliably are are easy to implement from the Today Screen.
  
  I use Pocket Informant 8.1 - This program offers a lot more view flexibility than normal Windows Mobile screens. For instance, you can look at your contacts by city or country. USeful for me. The month view is excellent also.
  
  If this thing had a phone in it as well I would buy several.
  
  
• The IPAQ 210 is Superb!
  By A38O0WOT8Y5QRX on 2008-10-20
  HP iPAQ 210 Enterprise Handheld
  
  HP hit a homerun! The IPAQ 210 is an outstanding handheld laddened with enough features to serve admirably as a laptop replacement. Its brilliant screen displays photographs, Adobe pdf attachments and spreadsheets with ease and is large enough to accommodate your favorite movie. Typical PDA functions - calendar, contacts, notes, voice recordings etc. are a snap with Windows Mobile 6.1. WiFi and Bluetooth are easy to use and well integrated. This little trooper runs for hours on a single charge. If you are serious about using the IPAQ as a laptop replacement, you will need to purchase the Bluetooth keyboard accessory. Excellence is expensive, but the IPAQ 210 well worth it -- think of it for less than $500 bucks you can stop lugging that laptop!
  
  Pros: Outstanding PDA and Microsoft Office Mobile, Gorgeous Screen, Laptop Replacement
  
  Cons: Weak Speaker, Bluetooth Bonding for external keyboard can be finicky
  
  
• HP iPAQ 211
  By AEQSS7DPZAUOS on 2008-07-24
  I have had my HP iPAQ 211 now for a little under a month and I use it constantly. For those who are highly attached to their computers but find laptops somewhat cumbersome to take all places - this little machine, while not a laptop, fits the bill. It's built for mobility and has many powerful features that equip it for that purpose. HP has put together an endearing and intuitive handheld that pushes the envelope of the pda. Frankly, I consider it a computer in it's own right - only ounces in weight and conveniently palm-sized with an excellent battery. What is more, it boots instantly and has a comparatively large screen with great resolution and graphic capacity. I liked the the software that is bundled with the machine. This includes MS Office - mobile version. I found its ability to connect to wireless access points exceptional. Mind you it's not meant to be a telephone so I won't recommend it for this purpose! Once you have a need to miniaturize your computing habit, you'll be pleased with this little companion. It is expensive but I think you get what you pay for.
  
  
  
• iPAQ 211 Review
  By A2P9I1HI9MSQKV on 2008-10-06
  All in all I'm pleased with the product. It has the best "video/screen" resolution I've seen, battery life is pretty good when you aren't running a boatload of wireless connections, and synching with Exchange is improved over my Palm T|X. All in all the online experience (browsing, mail, synching) is superior to Palm.
  
  Nits and irritants:
  
  1. When connected via USB, I cannot seem to find a way to configure the device to not come on every few minutes (maybe with every change in schedule/mail/contacts, etc.) and it is almost impossible to survive without saving your password as a result. You can't just turn it off it seems, it will pop back on within minutes. Half the time my goal is not to have it sync, simply to let it charge, so this is a major annoyance. If there's a better way, it isn't obvious and that leads to irritant number 2.
  2. Documentation, especially configuration assistance is abysmal. What's new about that anymore? The art of good technical writing simply seems lost on us as a society anymore.
  3. On occasion you have to wait on some update in the device to finish, just like on PCs. One of the main reasons I spent more on this than I would have on a micro-PC is I wanted instant on for schedule purposes and a usable web interface. It's truly annoying to be delayed. Easiest way to avoid delays seems to be to leave the wireless off as might be expected. The concept of throttling down background tasks seems less advanced.
  4. Like a lot of folks I dislike the "up" position on the directional rocker - too small for my fat fingers to use accurately.
  5. Text recognition is far inferior to early Palm Graffiti in my estimation. I could really input almost as fast as I could stroke characters on early Palm. None of the input methods on this device are as trustworthy, accurate, or fast, in fact I tend to hunt and peck the keyboard.
  6. Oh yeah, really stupid thing - you can adjust the backlight down to 0, that is can't see a thing. Pretty hard to find the slider to adjust it back once you do if you happen to take your stylus off the screen. I don't know what they were thinking.
  7. App interface is a bit vertical, that is seems to stack a little too much. Don't like all the drill downs, Palm was quite a bit simpler, and for general purpose more usable in my mind. It can be difficult to figure out why something is "grayed" out or why some button isn't working on iPAQ, and drilling down often requires too many levels in book. Hides/Obfuscates functionality meaninglessly.
  
  
  Value/Cost: Give the price of micro PCs, 2*s.
  Interface/Visuals: 4*s. Font scalability is remarkable.
  
  Browsing: 4*s. Nice to be able to see a whole page when you need to. Not all pages reproduce accurately tho.
  
  Wireless: 3*s: Somehow it's just more difficult to configure correctly than it should be.
  
  Synching: 3*s: Especially bad with the auto turn on/alert features. No amount of work seems to get that configured in a likable way. Otherwise pretty good. Blame ActiveSync and the Device here.
  
  Apps: Powerpoint I like, does what I'd want it to in this format. Word seems to not manage graphical content well at all. Haven't tried Excel much or the Media Tools yet.
  
  Palm vs. iPAQ? For usability, simple schedule/contact management I prefer my Palm T|X, cept it's dead. For Web/Browsing and Exchange Integration the iPAQ get's my vote. For input, the old Palm Graffiti with all its proprietary quirks remains the most functional in my estimation.
  
  
• Not bad
  By A3VEWEYEW4IKIB on 2008-05-03
  This is my first pocket PC. Seems pretty good to me but I don't have much experience with others.
  
  
• Great PDA
  By A33K94UJW0L53W on 2008-05-14
  I really like iPaq 211, my old Toshiba e740 battery died so it was time for a new one. I decided purchase an HP and glad I did. I'm very impress with performance of the unit. Also the 4 in. screen is very impressive. Setting up the wifi was a breeze. The only bad thing is the adapter when charging the unit, it always in the way. But overall the iPaq 211 is great
  
  
• Known as the 212 in Australia
  By A3C9DBZDH7CS75 on 2008-06-28
  I bought this product yesturday, after owning the 111/112 for 6 months.
  I absolutely LOVE the 4" screen. This is great for reading ebooks and surfing the internet.
  Wifi on this product is great.
  It fits snuggly in my hand and is so easy to use.
  The screen has minimal glare, is great for reading in bed and is as crips as.
  Awesome product.
  Mez
  
  
• By far not bad.
  By A3REXI1FLGVF49 on 2008-06-29
  I've had it for several months. The only rediculous flaw is the speakers. They are very silent. Otherwise this pocket PC is very good including the screen and battery life. And it doesn't freeze like some others write. I would've given 5 stars had it not been the speakers.
  
  

• Freedom Bluetooth Universal Keyboard - 049FRE-KEY / 049FREKEY
• Airhead Waterproof GPS/PDA Case
• V-dimension Helius
• Cables to Go DC to USB Power Adapter - Power adapter - car ( external ) - 12 - 24 V
• V-dimension Optical Corporate Traveler

• Transcend TS8GSDHC6 8GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6)
• Clear Anti-glare Screen Protector for the HP iPaq 211 - Gomadic Brand
• HP iPAQ 211 Armor Case - The Metal Case (Black)
• Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD CLASS 6) with Compact Card Reader
• Horizontal Leather Case with Belt Clip/Loop for the HP iPaq 211